Towel fabric with cotton and microfiber faces

ABSTRACT

A fabric for decorative towels is disclosed that combines exceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency. The fabric includes two different pile faces, preferably opposite one another, with one of the faces being formed of synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less—i.e., microfibers—for providing strength and absorbency, with the other of the faces of the fabric being formed of cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities, and with the synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than the cotton face.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention relates to specialty fabrics for towels,more specifically sports towels, with a particular emphasis on towelsused for golf.

[0002] Sports towels often serve two or more purposes. Typically, theymay be used to dry both a piece of equipment during use as well as towipe perspiration from the sportsman. Examples include towels used fortennis (grips) and golf (grips and club heads). In recent years, towelswith logos and designs have become quite popular with golfers. Suchtowels are often about the same size as a bathroom hand or bath towel,and in their most popular versions, include a logo or design (sometimesas large as the towel face itself) that represents the golf course orclub, or a particular event, or—in commercial situations—a sponsor.

[0003] Golfers typically use such towels to wipe their club heads (whichtend to pick up dirt during a golfer's swing). Such dirt, particularlyon the face of the club, can seriously impair performance. Thus, golferstypically use towels frequently, particularly in wet conditions.

[0004] Cotton is, of course, a favored material for towels as well asother fabrics. Cotton has an excellent hand, carries printing and otherdesign elements (embroidery, etc) very well, dyes easily, and isabsorbent. Cotton does not shed water easily, however, so that once wetit tends to lose performance until it is proactively dried.

[0005] Alternatively, some synthetic fabrics offer certain advantagesover cotton. Polyester, for example, is widely available and relativelystrong, and its chemistry and manufacture are well understood.Historically, however, the most common forms of polyester filament orfibers have been less absorbent than cotton, have a less pleasing(although not necessarily unpleasant) hand than cotton, cannot be dyedor printed as easily as cotton, or when printed cannot give as fine anappearance as cotton.

[0006] Other common synthetic fibers and filaments such as polyolefins,acrylics and rayon offer similar advantages and disadvantages withrespect to cotton.

[0007] More recently, however, polyester and related synthetic fibershave become available in microfiber deniers. As generally used in theart, and as will be used herein, the term “microfiber” refers tosynthetic filament that has a denier (in single strand or yarns) of lessthan 1, typically less than 0.9, and preferably smaller.

[0008] Fabrics made from microfibers tend to have a luxurious drape, arelightweight but not flimsy, and still possess appropriate body. Theyalso resist wrinkling and pilling, and are relatively strong incomparison to other fabrics of similar weight.

[0009] Polyester microfiber is quite strong, and unlike earliergenerations of polyester, extremely absorbent when made into fabrics—upto seven times as absorbent as cotton and with a wicking rate that isthree times as great.

[0010] Accordingly, in many circumstances, polyester microfiber is asuperior fabric for many purposes, including high-end clothing.

[0011] Towels, however, are generally formed of pile fabrics of somesort (explain the variations) because of the greater absorbency offeredby a pile fabric, all other factors being equal. Because microfibers areso small, however, they can create an unpleasant hand in pile fabrics.In some pile fabrics, they can almost give a prickling feel because theyare smaller than the ridges between a typical fingerprint. Althoughpolyester microfiber has absorbency, strength, and lifetime advantages,it does not shear as well as cotton (resulting in a less pleasing faceand hand), it does not form as pleasing a face as cotton when looped,and accepts dyes differently than cotton, sometimes resulting in a lesspleasing appearance.

[0012] Thus, cotton towels can offer excellent look and feel, but lackthe strength and absorbency performance of microfiber. Microfiber canexceed the performance of cotton in some circumstances, but at the costof hand and appearance.

[0013] Furthermore, design elements are becoming increasing important insport towels, particularly those used for golf. The more popular towelsalmost always include at least a partial logo portion and morepreferably a design on a scale on the order of the towel itself.Although certain conventional design techniques such as Jacquard ordobby weaving give an elegant (and still popular) appearance for towels,they are limited (in most cases) to the two-color, two-yarn aspects ofsuch weaving. Thus, the use of printed designs on towels has significantcolor reproduction benefits. As noted above, cotton is preferred fortowels incorporating printing or other design elements.

[0014] Attempts to combine cotton and polyester to capture the benefitsof each are well-known and generally successful in many cases(particularly apparel). In most cases, such “cotton-poly” garmentsincorporate blended yarns or, in the case of some active wear, rely on acotton portion to be more absorbent and a polyester (or other synthetic)portion to provide a hydrophobic function, typically wicking moisturefrom the synthetic portion to the cotton portion.

[0015] Lumb U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,667 discloses a composite knitsweatshirt fabric that is formed of cotton and polyester. The polyesterlayer is hydrophobic, however, rather than absorbent. The fabric caninclude a terry construction. The '667 patent broadly recites that thecross section of the polyester can be between 0.3 and 6.0 denier (e.g.Column 3 lines 34-36), but in its sole example, Lumb discloses apolyester layer that is 2.2 denier (Column 4, lines 58-60). The purposeof the Lumb fabric is to provide an appropriate wicking function fromthe hydrophobic polyester fibers to the more hydrophilic cotton fibers.

[0016] Byles U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,600 discloses a terry apparel fabricfor having opposed cotton and polyester faces. The polyester face ishydrophobic, and carries a 1.2 denier filament or yarn. The goal is forthe polyester layer to be moisture permeable and pass moisture to themore absorbent cotton layer.

[0017] Sherrill U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,274 discloses a terry towel that hasone cotton face and one rayon face. None of the fibers are microfibers,however, and the purpose of the structure is to reduce the shrinkage ofthe towel as compared to 100% cotton. The patent appears to predatecommercial microfiber technology and refers to polyester as being, “muchless absorbent than cotton” (Column 2 lines 53-54).

[0018] Kaufman ‘U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,500 discloses a towel that has oneface formed of a material that more readily accepts printing,particularly by sublimation techniques, and one face formed of anabsorbent material. The more absorbent face is cotton, however, and theprinted face is preferably “relatively non absorbent”, particularly lessabsorbent than cotton; e.g. column 2 lines 45-57.

[0019] Rock U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,332 describes an anti-microbial apparelfabric that includes one hydrophobic layer and one hydrophilic layerboth of which can be synthetic. Although Rock '332 discloses thepossibility of a terry fabric, it fails to discuss denier or the use ofmicrofibers.

[0020] Kasdan U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,493 discloses a double knit fabric forathletic wear in which both faces are polyester, including somemicrofiber. As with most of the fabrics described in these patents, thepurpose is a wicking action of moisture from against the skin.

[0021] Finally, Waite U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,272 discloses a pile towelconstruction in which the ground yarns are moisture-transportingpolyester fibers, but the pile yarns are cotton.

[0022] Accordingly, a need exists for a towel fabric that canincorporate the highly absorbent and rugged properties of microfiberswhile still offering the hand and design advantages of cotton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The invention is a fabric for decorative towels that combinesexceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength andabsorbency. The fabric comprises two different pile faces, preferablyopposite one another, with one of the faces being formed of syntheticfilaments of 0.9 denier or less—i.e., microfibers—for providing strengthand absorbency, with the other of the faces of the fabric being formedof cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative designcapabilities, and with the synthetic microfiber face being moreabsorbent on a weight-for weight basis than the cotton face.

[0024] In another aspect the invention is a sport or beach towel thatincorporates the fabric of the invention.

[0025] In yet another aspect, the invention is a display-packageddecorative golf towel that incorporates the fabric of the presentinvention.

[0026] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the inventionand the manner in which the same are accomplished will become clearerbased on the followed detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one face of a towel according tothe present invention.

[0028]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opposite face of the towel ofFIG. 1.

[0029]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

[0030]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a towel according to the presentinvention in use cleaning a golf club.

[0031]FIG. 5 is a view of a towel according to the present invention anda hanger used to commercially display the towel.

[0032]FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged photographs of exemplary microfiberstructures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033]FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a decorative golf or sporttowel broadly designated at 10 according to the present invention, andFIGS. 1 and 2 are best understood in conjunction with one another. Thetowel 10 combines exceptional hand and image carrying capability withhigh strength and absorbency. The towel 10 is formed of a fabric thathas two different pile faces, 11 and 12 respectively in FIGS. 1 and 2,that in preferred embodiments are opposite one another (as opposed toside by side). One of the faces, designated 12 in FIG. 2, is formed ofsynthetic microfibers—i.e. filaments of 0.9 denier or less—for providingstrength and absorbency. The other face, designated 11 in FIG. 1, isformed of cotton, preferably 100 percent cotton, for providing desirablehand and decorative design capabilities.

[0034] Although the fabric and towel disclosed herein are describedprimarily in the sport or golf context, it will be understood that theinvention relates to the towel fabric rather than to its size or enduse. Thus, the towel can be formed in any desired size, including butnot limited to those generally referred to as beach towels, bath towels,hand towels and washcloths.

[0035] As well understood in the textile arts, synthetic fibers withdeniers of 0.9 or less are generally referred to as “microfibers”. Byway of comparison, silk is somewhat larger, approximately 1.25 denier.In turn, many microfibers are between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier, andpotentially even smaller. As another illustrative comparison, nylonstockings are typically knit from 10 to 15 denier yarns, comprisingthree or four filaments per yarn. In comparison, a 15-denier yarn formedof microfibers could have up to 30 filaments.

[0036] Microfibers, both in the invention and in many otherapplications, are preferably formed of polyester. Although the term“polyester” most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate, those ofskill in this art recognize that it properly refers to polymers composedof at least 85 percent by weight of an ester of a substituted aromaticcarboxylic acid. As indicated by the “85 percent” aspect of thedefinition, polyester can also include lesser amounts of variouscopolymers or other compositions, and such compositions can beincorporated into the synthetic portion of the present inventionprovided they otherwise do not interfere with (and in some cases theymay be included to enhance) the structure or performance of theresulting fabric and towels.

[0037] As noted in the Background, microfibers have a number ofadvantages for garments with respect to their feel and appearance. Inrecent years, microfiber filaments have become widely availablecommercially, and are available under trade names such as TREVIRAFINESSE, FORTREL MICROSPUN, MICROMATTIQUE and SUPPLEX MICROFIBER. Itwill be understood that this is an exemplary list demonstrating theavailability of these fibers and filaments to those of ordinary skill inthe art and is not in any sense limiting of the present invention. Fromthe standpoint of the present invention, however, the significantadvantage of microfibers are that fabrics formed from microfibers areextremely absorbent. As further noted in the background, microfibertextiles will absorb up to seven times their weight in dirt, grime andliquid, will wick approximately three times as fast as cotton, and willabsorb seven times as much water as cotton on a weight-for-weight basis.

[0038] In the invention, the microfiber face 12 can be selected from thegroup consisting of polyester (which is most preferred), polyolefins,nylon, acrylics, and rayon. The synthetic filaments, as noted above, are0.9 denier or smaller, and are more preferably between 0.5 and 0.6denier, and can be even smaller; i.e., less than 0.5 denier.

[0039] Although the drawings are presented in black and white format, inpreferred embodiments, the two different faces 11 and 12 may comprisetwo different colors, including two different shades or tones of thesame color. In that manner, the color of the microfiber face 12 canquickly identify it for use; e.g., absorbing water or dirt or grime orany similar materials. Such use is illustrated in FIG. 4, in which themicrofiber face 12 is shown being used to wipe the face of a golf club13. As noted in the background portions, decorative towels areparticularly ubiquitous in golf, but the invention is not limited togolf, and is appropriate for any other sport or circumstance where thecombination of the high strength, high absorbency microfiber face andthe excellent hand and design capabilities of the cotton face areconcurrently desired or necessary.

[0040] As further shown in FIG. 1, the cotton face 11 preferablyincludes a design element designated at 14 while the microfiber face 12is preferably a solid color. The design element 14 can be formed from orof any type of physical structure or process that is compatible withcotton and that does not otherwise interfere with the structure orfunction of the towel 10. Generally, this means that the physicalaspects of the design element, and its method of production, arepreferably selected from a broad set of possibilities including imagedyeing, printing, heat transfer methods, embroidery, and combinationsthereof. If desired, one or more portions of the design element caninclude Jacquard or dobby-type weaving.

[0041] The methods and equipment used to produce pile fabrics aregenerally well understood in the textile arts and need not be discussedin detail herein. Useful references for all of the textile terms usedherein include, but are not limited to, Tortora, FAIRCHILD'S DICTIONARYOF TEXTILES, 7^(th) Edition (1996) and Kosa, DICTIONARY OF FIBER &TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY (1999).

[0042] As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the pile fabric for eachrespective face is selected from the group consisting of raised loops,tufts (cut loops), cut interlacing, and combinations thereof. In themost preferred embodiment, the cotton face 11 is sheared terry, and themicrofiber face 12 is formed of terry loops. In FIG. 3, the loops areindividually designated at 15 and the sheared tufts at 16. It will beunderstood, of course, that both faces 11 and 12 could be formed ofterry loops, or both of sheared tufts, or the microfiber face could bethe tufts and the cotton face could be the terry loops. These are allindividual design choices that fall within the scope of the invention.

[0043]FIG. 3 also shows in somewhat exaggerated fashion the individualmicrofibers 17 extending from the terry loops 15. It will be understoodthat these are not necessarily drawn to scale, but merely to illustrateone of the reasons why, in a towel fabric of this type, the hand of thesynthetic face tends to be less pleasing than the hand of the cottonface.

[0044]FIG. 3 also illustrates that the pile faces 11 and 12 of the towelfabric 10 are woven into a ground fabric broadly designated at 20 inFIG. 3, which in turn is formed of ground warp yarns 21 and groundfilling yarns 22. Thus, in the preferred embodiment the towel fabricwill also include cotton warp yarns illustrated at 23 in FIG. 3 for thecotton face 11, and polyester microfiber yarns 24 for the synthetic face12. Both the ground warp yarns 21 and the ground filling yarns 22 can beselected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns,blended cotton polyester yarns and combinations thereof, or any otherfabric that provides an appropriate ground fabric without otherwiseinterfering with the structure or function of the towel 10.

[0045] In preferred embodiments, the fabric is formed into a completetowel by including the four borders 25, 26, 27, and 30 respectively. Inthe most preferred embodiment, the borders are woven in a conventionalmanner although this is exemplary rather than limiting of the invention.

[0046]FIGS. 1 and 2 also show that the towel 10 preferably includes thegrommet 31 typically formed of brass or another corrosion-resistantmetal. The grommet 31 is typically used in conjunction with a clip (notshown) to fasten the towel 10 to a golf bag. An exemplary clip is shownin commonly assigned U.S. designed Pat. Des. 377,196, the contents ofwhich are incorporated entirely herein by reference.

[0047]FIGS. 6 and 7 are exemplary micrographs of polyester microfibers.They are not taken from towels according to the present invention, andthus should be understood as illustrative of microfibers in general,rather than definitive or limiting of the fibers used in any particularembodiment of the invention herein. FIG. 5 is taken at a magnificationof 30, and FIG. 7 at a magnification of 400, thus illustrating thepotentially extremely fine nature of microfiber filament.

[0048]FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention andone that takes advantage of its functional and esthetic qualities in thecontext of a golf professional shop or related venue. In thisembodiment, the invention is a display packaged, decorative golf towelagain broadly designated at 10. The towel 10 comprises the rectangularpile face 12 (not shown in FIG. 5) formed of the synthetic microfibersand the opposite cotton pile face 11, more preferably 100 percentcotton, that provides the desired hand and decorative designcapabilities. In this embodiment, the golf towel 10 includes at leastone woven border illustrated at 30 in FIG. 5 that includes an opening 32parallel to both of the faces 11 and 12 of the towel 10 and parallel tothe border 30. The towel 10 includes the design elements 14 on thecotton face 11 of the towel 10, as described with respect to theprevious embodiments.

[0049] In the display packaged embodiment, however, the towel includesthe hanger 34 portions of which are inserted into the opening 32 in theborder 30 so that when the hanger is placed in a normal orientation on arack (not shown), it will display the towel 10 in a full verticalorientation that favorably shows the design element.

[0050]FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another embodiment of the invention thatincorporates a Jacquard weave. In this aspect, the towel fabric 35comprises a Jacquard weave that includes the microfiber and cotton pilefaces designated at 36 and 37 respectively. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrateopposite sides of the same towel 35 and appear as the negative image ofone another because of the characteristic structure of Jacquard weavingin which warp yarns are raised or lowered to create the desired design.Thus, as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the synthetic face36 of the towel 35 is shown as white with the Jacquard design 40 formedfrom the cotton filaments shown in cross-hatch, and the cotton face isshown at 37 in cross hatch with the Jacquard design 38 formed by thesynthetic yarns shown in white. In preferred embodiments, the designappears “positive” on the cotton face 37 and as a “negative” on thesynthetic face 36.

[0051] As in the other embodiments, the two faces 36 and 37 are formedof pile with the synthetic face 36 being formed of filaments of 0.9denier or less and the cotton face 37 providing a more desirable hand.As in the earlier embodiments, the synthetic microfiber face is moreabsorbent on a weight for weight basis than the cotton face 37.

[0052] In the drawings and specification there has been set forth apreferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms havebeen employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only andnot for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being definedin the claims.

1. A fabric for decorative towels that combines exceptional hand andimage-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency, said fabriccomprising: two different pile faces; one of said faces being formed ofsynthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less for providing strength andabsorbency; the other of said faces of said fabric being formed ofcotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities;with said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-forweight basis than said cotton face.
 2. A towel fabric according to claim1 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier. 3.A towel fabric according to claim 1 comprising synthetic filaments ofless than about 0.5 denier.
 4. A towel fabric according to claim 1wherein said cotton face comprises 100 percent cotton.
 5. A towel fabricaccording to claim 1 wherein said two different pile faces are oppositeone another.
 6. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein saidmicrofiber face is selected from the group consisting of polyester,polyolefins, nylon, acrylics, rayon, and blends thereof.
 7. A towelfabric according to claim 1 wherein said respective pile faces areselected from the group consisting of raised loops, tufts, cutinterlacing, and combinations thereof.
 8. A towel fabric according toclaim 1 wherein said cotton face is sheared terry.
 9. A towel fabricaccording to claim 1 wherein said pile faces are woven into a groundfabric.
 10. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said microfiberface and said cotton face are different colors from one another so thatthe color functionally identifies said microfiber face.
 11. A towelfabric according to claim 10 wherein said microfiber face is a solidcolor and said cotton face includes a design element.
 12. A towel fabricaccording to claim 1 wherein said design element is selected from thegroup consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroideryand combinations thereof.
 13. A towel formed from the fabric of claim12.
 14. A towel according to claim 13 comprising a woven border.
 15. Atowel formed from the fabric of claim
 1. 16. A towel according to claim15 comprising a woven border.
 17. A towel fabric according to claim 1comprising: ground warp yarns ground filling yarns cotton warp yarns forsaid cotton face; and polyester microfiber yarns for said syntheticface.
 18. A towel fabric according to claim 17 wherein said ground warpyarns are selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyesteryarns, blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.
 19. Atowel fabric according to claim 17 wherein said ground filling yarns areselected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns,blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.
 20. Adecorative golf towel comprising: a rectangular pile face formed ofsynthetic filaments of less than 0.9 denier for providing strength andabsorbency; and a pile face formed of 100 percent cotton and oppositesaid synthetic fiber face for providing desirable hand and decorativedesign capabilities; a woven border; and a design element on said cottonface; said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on aweight-for weight basis than said cotton face.
 21. A golf towelaccording to claim 20 comprising a grommet.
 22. A golf towel accordingto claim 20 wherein said design element is selected from the groupconsisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery,Jacquard, and combinations thereof.
 23. A golf towel according to claim20 wherein: said microfiber face is selected from the group consistingof terry loops or sheared pile; and said cotton face is selected fromthe group consisting of terry loops or sheared pile.
 24. A golf towelaccording to claim 23 wherein said cotton face is sheared pile and saidmicrofiber face is terry loop.
 25. A golf towel according to claim 20wherein said synthetic filaments comprise polyester.
 26. A golf towelaccording to claim 20 wherein said pile faces are woven into a groundfabric.
 27. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said microfiberface has a solid color different from the color and design of saidcotton face.
 28. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said designelement is selected from the group consisting of image dyeing, printing,heat transfer, embroidery and combinations thereof.
 29. A golf towelaccording to claim 20 comprising a woven border around the perimeterthereof.
 30. A golf towel according to claim 20 comprising syntheticfilaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier.
 31. A golf towelaccording to claim 20 comprising synthetic filaments of less than about0.5 denier.
 32. A display-packaged decorative golf towel comprising: apile face formed of synthetic filaments of less than 0.9 denier forproviding strength and absorbency; and a pile face formed of cotton forproviding desirable hand and decorative design capabilities; a wovenborder that includes an opening parallel to both of said faces of saidtowel and parallel to said border; a design element on said cotton face;said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-forweight basis than said cotton face; and a hanger having portions in saidopening for displaying said towel in a full vertical orientation thatfavorably shows said design element.
 33. A display packaged towelaccording to claim 32 wherein said cotton face comprises 100 percentcotton.
 34. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein saidcotton face is opposite said synthetic fiber face.
 35. A rectangulardisplay packaged towel according to claim
 32. 36. A display packagedtowel according to claim 32 wherein said hanger is formed from the groupconsisting of metals and polymers.
 37. A display packaged towelaccording to claim 32 wherein said design element is selected from thegroup consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery,Jacquard and combinations thereof.
 38. A display packaged towelaccording to claim 32 wherein said microfiber face and said cotton faceare different colors from one another so that the color functionallyidentifies said microfiber face.
 39. A display packaged towel accordingto claim 32 comprising a grommet.
 40. A display packaged towel accordingto claim 32 wherein said cotton face is sheared pile and said microfiberface is terry loop polyester.
 41. A display packaged towel according toclaim 32 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6denier.
 42. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 comprisingsynthetic filaments of less than about 0.5 denier.
 43. A fabric fordecorative towels that combines exceptional hand and image-carryingcapability with high strength and absorbency, said fabric comprising: aJacquard weave; two different pile faces; one of said faces being formedof synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less for providing strength andabsorbency; the other of said faces of said fabric being formed ofcotton for providing desirable hand; said synthetic microfiber facebeing more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than said cotton face;portions of said synthetic filaments forming a Jacquard design on saidcotton face; and complementing portions of said cotton forming thereverse design on said synthetic face.
 44. A towel fabric according toclaim 43 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6denier.
 45. A towel fabric according to claim 43 comprising syntheticfilaments of less than about 0.5 denier.
 46. A towel fabric according toclaim 43 wherein said two different pile faces are opposite one another.47. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said microfiber face isselected from the group consisting of polyester, polyolefins, nylon,acrylics, rayon and blends thereof.
 48. A towel fabric according toclaim 43 wherein said respective pile faces are selected from the groupconsisting of raised loops, tufts, cut interlacing, and combinationsthereof.
 49. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said cottonface is sheared terry.
 50. A towel fabric according to claim 43 whereinsaid pile faces are woven into a ground fabric.
 51. A towel formed fromthe fabric of claim
 43. 52. A towel according to claim 51 comprising awoven border.
 53. A towel fabric according to claim 43 comprising:ground warp yarns ground filling yarns cotton warp yarns for said cottonface; and polyester microfiber yarns for said synthetic face.
 54. Atowel fabric according to claim 53 wherein said ground warp yarns areselected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns,blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.
 55. A towelfabric according to claim 53 wherein said ground filling yarns areselected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns,blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.